Issued at the dawn of California’s motoring age, Roadmap to Yosemite (1922) captures the moment when America’s new love affair with the automobile transformed access to the Sierra. Published by Yosemite Lodge and crafted by Carl A. Bundy Quill and Press of Los Angeles, it unites promotional flair with practical clarity, guiding travelers from the fertile Central Valley and bustling Bay Area to the granite heart of Yosemite Valley. The map frames the park within a wider landscape—Central California in bold focus, with insets for Lake Tahoe and southern California—signaling that Yosemite was not an isolated destination but the crown of a larger touring circuit. Decorative flourishes and confident labeling encapsulate the vintage aesthetic of early 20th‑century travel cartography.

Prized by early motorists for its navigational precision, the map foregrounds exit routes from key cities, easing the tricky first miles of any long journey. San Francisco and Oakland expand into the eastward arteries of the Bay, while Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Madera, and Fresno are treated with unusual granularity, revealing the practical pathways from urban grids into the open road. This was a pre-numbered-highway world, before standardized signage and interstates; clarity depended on naming towns, junctions, and road camps. The cartographer’s crisp route bands stitch together the Central Valley’s agricultural centers—Merced, Visalia, and beyond—before rising to the Sierra foothills, where the careful depiction of junctions becomes a lifeline for drivers climbing toward Yosemite’s gateways.

At the heart of the sheet, Yosemite National Park is both destination and organizing principle. Access routes funnel decisively into Yosemite Valley, with nearby camps and landmarks flagged to orient travelers as they transition from valley floor to alpine vistas. The emphasis on drivable approach, rather than rail timetables, speaks to a historic pivot: following the 1916 creation of the National Park Service, the 1920s ushered in democratized park visitation by car. Yosemite Lodge’s imprint underscores this changing tourism economy, inviting motorists to experience the Valley’s meadows and waterfalls with unprecedented independence. The inclusion of Sequoia National Park situates Yosemite within a two‑park loop, anticipating itineraries that would become classics of California road travel.

The Lake Tahoe inset extends the narrative north and east, mapping the recreational corridor that arcs through the high Sierra. Truckee sits as a mountain hinge, while the Tahoe basin beckons as a complementary alpine playground—an elegant nod to multi‑day circuits linking Yosemite’s granite domes with Tahoe’s deep waters. Further afield, places like Chico, Corning, and even Klamath Falls hint at a broader catchment of travelers drawn southward toward the Sierra parks. To the south, Bakersfield anchors routes feeding in from the Los Angeles sphere, and the southern California inset gestures toward ambitious, long-haul drives. Together, these panels reveal a West Coast web of scenic roads converging on Yosemite as a marquee stop.

Beyond its immediate utility, this map is a document of cultural change. It distills the Good Roads era into a single, legible canvas, when civic boosters, hoteliers, and printers collaborated to turn landscapes into itineraries. Names like San Jose, Gilroy, and Salinas are not just waypoints; they are staging grounds of a new mobility that blended agriculture, industry, and wilderness tourism. Ornament pairs with purpose—period scrollwork frames routes labeled for ease of navigation—affirming Bundy’s deft balance of elegance and clarity. Historically, it marks the shift from rail-bound grand tours to personal exploration, as families in early touring cars claimed the Sierra on their own terms and remapped California’s sense of distance and possibility.

Places on this map

• San Francisco
• Sacramento
• Fresno
• Bakersfield
• Stockton
• Modesto
• Madera
• Yosemite Valley
• Lake Tahoe
• Merced
• Visalia
• Gilroy
• Salinas
• Oakland
• San Jose
• Corning
• Chico
• Truckee
• Klamath Falls
• Sequoia National Park

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Yosemite National Park location and access routes.
• Insets depicting urban layouts for San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto, Madera, and Stockton.
• Major highways and roads leading to Yosemite.
• Notable landmarks and camps within and around Yosemite.
• Lake Tahoe and surrounding region depicted in an inset.
• The cartographer’s style includes ornamental elements typical of that period.
• Prominent routes labeled for ease of navigation.

Historical and design context

• Creation Date: 1922
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Published by Yosemite Lodge, created by Carl A. Bundy Quill and Press of Los Angeles.
• Known for producing promotional materials for tourist attractions.
• Emphasizes auto travel and tourism during the early 20th century.
• Highlights road networks leading to natural parks.
• Historical cartographic style with clear labeling and insets for detailed navigation.
• Features a vintage aesthetic consistent with early 20th-century travel maps.
• Reflects the rise of automobile travel and tourism in the early 1920s, marking a shift in how people accessed natural attractions.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.